The New Future's Face
by Amatus Vanitas
Summary: Title from a 30 Seconds to Mars song. Haruki thought his parents were average people living average lives... until he finds out the reason his father's never home. Connected to OHS and SAC. 06. Inheritance. "'Yes, Master.' Xion bites her lip and takes a deep breath. 'I was hoping you could explain Keyblade inheritance to me."
1. Yes No

**Hey, look, I have shoutouts again! I've got an anonymous reviewer, so thanks to...**

**Flightfoot for reviewing "Reprogram" (I know, it's horrible, isn't it? I consider it on the same level as Terra's) and for reviewing "Nightmare" (Poor guy. :P I hope he didn't have nightmares like that, but I don't see how he couldn't have; it's not the worst memory Xion could have or has absorbed, but still not fun. In the slightest.)!**

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><p><strong>SAKURA SCOUT, I AM SO SORRY. It's a month late, and I'm uploading it with fifteen minutes to spare, but better late than never, right? *Shot.* Hey, I tried. You should see my notebook—I had seven different attempts before I tried a different idea a while. (Plus I came up with a bunch of other ideas for 'Ruki's life after I got your prompts.)<strong>

**For the rest of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I created an original character for use in three prompts of my completed one hundred theme challenge. I never intended baby Haruki to be anything more than a plot device to finish the challenge, but then a few friends of mine (cough, goldeneyes713, cough, cough, and Sakura Scout, cough) fell in love with the idea of Riku and Xion's bundle of joy and asked for a bit more information on him. I got Sakura Scout to loan me a few quotes/prompts to start off, but I always enjoy other's ideas/requests. I'm trying to make these longer than this one, but this S.O.B. gave me trouble from the start. I've ahd this done for a week now, but I wanted something longer, but then it was getting too long... Okay, enough excuses!**

**Reviews are always appreciated, as are suggestions for this series. Please, enjoy...**

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><p><em>I meant to go through with it: is that the truth? Yes. No. Yes-no. There is such a word, but it has never been allowed into the dictionaries. Yes-no: every woman knows what it means at it defeats every man. "Are you going to do it?" asked Vercueil, his man-eyes gleaming. "Yes-no," I should have answered.<em>

– Mrs. Curren from "Age of Iron" by J.M. Coetzee

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><p>Riku has never questioned Xion's judgment when it came to this, no matter how much it hurt them both. For that, she is grateful...<p>

...But she'll never let herself forget the traces of pain she saw in his eyes, despite his attempts to hide it, when she suggested adoption. Riku may not even be twenty yet, but like her, he wants this baby and the future it represents—one where they don't have to fight; one where he and Xion can play with their child, maybe even children, without fear of anything more serious than the uppity old neighbor-lady; one where they can pretend they're completely normal.

That vision of the future is exactly why Xion plans to give Haruki—the baby is _going_ to be a boy, and he's _going_ to be named Haruki—to someone else. They'll never have that life, not now that they've gained the knowledge never meant for mortals, so what's the use in acting like they will? At least this way Haruki will be safe and have the life his parents want for him.

All the same, after dinner every night from the sixth month on, Xion and Riku rest their hands on her belly, waiting to feel every punch and kick from Haruki's little hands and feet, and Xion can almost convince herself that they're living in one of Zexion's alternate realities and that Haruki will grow up in this little house of theirs, not someone else's.

Everything changes the day Haruki is born.

Haruki couldn't wait until his mom was home at Destiny Islands—oh, no, he decided that Disney Castle would be the place. That's the first sign of who this kid will be; he was bending the world order before he was even born. For years Xion will wonder how King Mickey could see her the same way after he heard her phenomenal cursing, but _damn it_, it hurts more than most injuries she's ever been dealt. Riku coming the closest she's seen yet to a panic attack doesn't help matters, either—Xion hates seeing him in mental anguish and/or physical pain as much as he hates hearing her scream.

Everything—the pain, the sweat, the tears, the nine months of being so careful of anything she did—everything is worth it the instant she hears the squalling.

For nine months, Xion has anticipated and dreaded this moment. Her baby—_their_ baby—is here at last, but soon enough, he'll be gone, and another woman will be feeding him and waking up to his cries. Xion doesn't bother restraining a few tears. "He's so beautiful," she murmurs; Haruki is, indeed, a boy, with his father's beautiful blue eyes and facial structure. For now, though, with all of his baby pudginess, the black hair makes him look more like his mother.

Beside her, Riku unconsciously leans forward, cautiously inspecting the new heart in Xion's arms. "'Course he is. He looks like you." Haruki's tiny hand reaches for Riku's nose, but the older male jerks away before the infant can get a good tug on it.

Chuckling, Xion slips a finger in Haruki's, drinking up everything about this moment: how quiet their little one is, his startlingly bright eyes, the firm grip he has on her finger and her heart. "Haruki, baby, don't be a suck up like your father," she coos, grinning when he pulls her finger, almost in response. "Alright, Mummy's tired. Let's go see Daddy..."

"Wha...?" is all Riku stutters out before he's forced to thrust his arms out to bear his son. Awkwardly, gasping at the tiny weight, he cocks an elbow up to steady the baby, blinking rapidly when the baby makes a strange, wet snort of a laugh. It isn't long, however, until his dumbfounded look falls prey to the same wonder and awe that Xion felt. She flops a weak hand on his arm, beaming at him and how at peace her boys look. "What I wouldn't give..." Riku murmurs, swallowing.

There it is—the straw that broke the back of Xion's resolve. Her hand tightens around Riku's forearm, which gets his attention. In a look it all comes out.

It'll take another nine months, she thinks, to lay their plans and figure out who works and who feeds and how much to tell him, and Riku just might have to kill another thousand Heartless to pay for everything, but maybe... maybe they can make this work.

Xion's smile couldn't be brighter.

Sixteen years from today, Xion will remember this moment exactly as it was before Roxas and Axel finally arrive, late as per usual. The life they built for Haruki will be shattered then, like she always knew it would, but she won't be able to regret it. Sixteen wonderful years... She'll remember that she also always knew that she never would have been able to give up her baby, not even to spare him from the complications of his parents being Keyblade Masters or from Axel's merciless teasing (just wait until he's old enough to find out where he was conceived...) In fact, the only regrets she'll ever have is not being able to tell Haruki the truth sooner and that he would be forced to bear the same weight his parents do.

But that's sixteen years from now. For now, she's content in knowing she has his whole life ahead of them.


	2. Story Time

**Whoo, shoutouts! XD Oh, I missed this... Thanks to MegaWallflower, MonMonCandie, DGMSilverAirHead03, Aika08, Cerika13, and Sakura Scout for reviewing the first chapter! :DDD You guys make me so happy...**

**So, this is just a silly chapter, but I did try to put in some important ideas. I technically started this in May, the day after I got out of school, but I didn't feel any pressure to finish it until last week. As you are now probably aware, I'll update this on Tuesdays—I would say every Tuesday, but you know how school goes, :P—and they won't always be in chronological order. I'll let you know where each chapter lies in the timeline, though. Still appreciate fun prompts/ideas/suggestions... Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>Haruki gets told lots of stories.<p>

Uncle Sora tells him most of the ones he knows, probably 'cause he talks the most out of all his friends and siblings. Mama always laughs when Sora is in the middle of a good one and his hands are waving about everywhere, and she likes saying things that, if Haruki had a little sister and she said something mean like that, he'd forget what Dad told him about not hitting girls and smack her in the face. Sora, though, does one of three things, none of which include hitting his sister.

One: he just plain ignores her.

Two: he narrows his eyes at her, hands geld perfectly straight in the air, which makes _everyone_ laugh.

Three: without even looking up or pausing in his speech, he comes up with a decent-to-awesome comeback (or so "Uncle" Axel says—Haruki never gets the funny part of the comeback) and continues his story.

Sora tells Haruki all about the crazy things that happen in the worlds beyond his own tiny Destiny Islands, about white rabbits, men raised by gorillas sliding down jungle trees, experimental creatures that are more funny than scary, girls with fish tails who live underwater, flying pirate ships, non-flying pirate ships, worlds in black and white, lions becoming kings, and so on... He says he's read about them in books, but that doesn't make sense—Dad picks on Sora as bad as Mama does and says he couldn't have read all those books 'cause he's not smart enough, but Mama says it's just 'cause he's impatient.

When Haruki tells Mama that someday, he's going to go to the other worlds to find out if Uncle Sora knows what he's talking about, she halts for a second before saying that she's sure one day he'll get the chance.

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><p>Uncle Sora doesn't tell really scary stories; that's the job of Uncle Roxas, with occasional footnotes from Axel. Roxas spins long tales about truly evil people, the bad guys that Roxas describes so wonderfully that Haruki finds it hard sometimes to remember that it's just a story. Axel doesn't help with that, either, especially when he says something funny and shows off a tiny and pale scar that he swears so-and-so gave him.<p>

Roxas never fails to say a mean thing to him, like Mama to Sora, but Axel always clutches his chest and moans about getting killed again.

Axel's personal specialties are humorous stories, like any time Sora fell over his own feet in front of Aunt Kairi, or silly rhymes that get both him and Haruki in trouble if Haruki tells 'em to Dad, or when one of Axel's old friends and he pulled this super awesome pranks on this wimpy guy who spent too much time on his mullet. Roxas occasionally inserts a funny one about Axel, which earns him a dirty glare each and every time.

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><p>Aunt Naminé, who is Uncle Roxas's fiancé and a good friend of both Haruki's parents, doesn't tell stories often. When Haruki and Naminé are together, Naminé diligently teaches him how to make his pictures even better than she says they were. When he impatiently throws his pencil on the tables on which they work, she picks it up and scoots closer to him, carefully making a line on the paper in a way that he can see her work, then another line, then another, then asks quietly, "Where do you think the next one goes?" And so it goes until he's satisfied enough to give it to Mama or Dad.<p>

Sometimes, Naminé brings her own sketchpad with her so Haruki can look through it. Some pictures have his parents; some have his aunts and uncles; some have people he's never met. Naminé explains each picture to him, and more often than not the description includes, "Roxas told you this story, didn't he?" Strangely, those pictures have the people he's never met with his relatives, notably Uncle Sora, Uncle Roxas, and Dad.

When he asks Dad about the pictures with him, he says Aunt Naminé uses what she knows as a "reference."

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><p>Terra, Aqua, and Ventus (who looks exactly like Uncle Roxas but acts more like Uncle Sora and is between them in talking—Mama says that not all people are made to look differently, so it's not really a big deal) are all very close to Haruki's family. They come only twice a year, though, 'cause their jobs never quit, but that's more than the number of times Haruki has to see the only cousin he knows he has until he's nine (in the summer they go to Dad's family's reunion but never to Mama's, since they see Sora and Roxas practically every day).<p>

Ven, with an identical personality to Sora, also talks about the other worlds beyond the ocean, but he tells different stories he's read about in different books. Terra and Aqua never tell stories, but they play weird games that he's fairly sure they found somewhere far away.

The trio stays on Destiny Islands for two days at the max; the first whole day is spent catching up on what everyone's missed, and on the second day everybody disappears somewhere to talk about grown-up things. The one and only time Haruki tries to eavesdrop, Mama catches him, and while she sticks him in time-out for ten minutes, she doesn't really look all that mad.

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><p>Strangely enough, the only connection Haruki has to his parents' past is Aunt Kairi, who looks a <em>lot <em>like Mama and Aunt Naminé at the same time, but she's not Mama's sister 'cause she's married to Uncle Sora, and that would just be _weird_ if she married her brother; anyway, she's more than willing to tell him anything he wants to know about Dad whenever he asks. There's a lot of stories about epic crashes and pranks while he and Uncle Sora were goofing around, but very few stories from when they were older, and Kairi has never told him a thing about his mom.

"Aunt Kairi, tell me a story about Mama."

"Please."

"Please?"

Seven-year-old Haruki's spending that day at Uncle Sora and Aunt Kairi's house while Mama and Dad are off doing something—Sora was elbowing Dad a lot when he dropped Haruki off, but he doesn't know why—and they've just finished having dinner. Haruki definitely prefers eating at Aunt Kairi's house; there's a lot less veggies and Haruki doesn't even have to get something on his plate if he doesn't want to eat it.

Aunt Kairi stands at the sink of their cornflower blue kitchen, and she lays the plate and washrag down and wipes her hands on the towel on the rack to her right. "I don't know a lot of stories about your mother, Haruki," she says, back turned to Haruki. "I didn't meet her until right before she started dating your father."

"Well, that's still been a _looong_ time," he chirps, swinging his legs impatiently. "You gotta know _something_ about Mama."

Kairi hesitates, face upturned and soaking up the sunlight with her eyes closed. "Haruki, do you know what a compromise is?"

"A what?"

"I take it you don't," she chuckles, turning away from the window to sit at the seat to Haruki's left. "A compromise is when two people both want something from the other, but neither of them is going to give exactly what the other wants, so they make a deal."

"Ooookay?"

Kairi smiles warmly. "So, right now, you want me to tell you a story about your mom."

"Yup!"

"But I _don't_ want to talk about your mom."

"_Please?_"

"So, we're going to make a _compromise_." Kairi holds out her pinky finger. "Would it be fair if I told you a really good story that wasn't about your mother?"

And that's a really hard question to answer 'cause he really wants to hear about Mama, but it's not nice to make Aunt Kairi tell him something about her—and anyway, if he kept pushing when she said no, he'd probably end up in time-out with no story. He's not as stupid as the other kids his age make him out to be. "That sounds good."

"Alright. Now, _long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light_..." Kairi begins, and instantly Haruki leans forward, intently focused on this latest tale of legend.

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><p>Around Haruki's tenth birthday, a little before or a little after, he stops asking for so many stories—one, they're getting old because he's heard them all a million times, and two, he's getting old enough to read the really good books at the library when he's not busy making up his own stories and playing them out with the pretty, blonde neighbor-girl named Yoshi, the only kid in school who likes him enough to hang out with him, at least for now. Haruki remembers one other little thing from his tenth birthday...<p>

Mama sits him down in the kitchen at the end of the night, after Yoshi's gone home and the leftover cake that hasn't been devoured by Sora and Axel has been covered up. Dad leans against the wall in front of him, looking kinda serious and sad; he has his arms crossed like he's actually _antsy_ about something. It's the first time Haruki's ever seen his dad in a state other than cool and poised or affectionate and relaxed—it's kind of awesome.

Mom pulls up a chair across from him and takes her seat. She clears her throat and smiles reassuringly, then says, "You're growing up so quickly, Haruki, and I just thought..." Mama presses her lip together and looks down; her hands—perpetually warm and calloused, the latter from washing dishes for so many years, as Mama likes to joke—settle on his, and her fingers tickle as she runs them over his knuckles and back again. She doesn't say anything for a few minutes that stretch into hours in Haruki's head, all the while tracing the bones in his hand but not smiling when he squirms at the more sensitive areas.

"Xion?" Just when Haruki was about to start asking Mama what was bugging her 'cause she's been awfully quiet for an awfully long time, Dad breaks the silence as he pushes himself off the wall and takes a step forward.

Mom jerks her head a little, like she does when she wakes up, and grins sheepishly at Haruki. "I just wanted you to know," she says quietly with her kinda_ mysterious_ smile, as if she knows something that she's going to tell him but not anytime soon, "that you're growing up so quickly, and we're very proud of you."

Haruki perks up with a warm happy feeling echoing throughout his entire body—who _doesn't_ like making their parents happy, after all? "Thanks, Mama!" he squeaks, pecking her on the cheek and hopping off the chair to hug Dad around his stomach. "Can I go back to my room and play now?"

Dad snorts once in amusement, eyes scrunched up and one lip bitten as he tries to keep from chuckling at Haruki more than he already had. Mama doesn't bother holding her laughter in as much as Dad does and giggles at him when she nods. Haruki laughs, too, 'cause his mom's laugh is infectious, even for him, then takes off for the staircase to his room. "Not too much longer, though, Ruki," she chides, just to get her motherly-presence in there, Haruki thinks.

He turns around as he shouts a "Fiiine" back at Mama, already planning a new game where he'll save Yoshi from another one of Uncle Roxas's bad guys with the new toy sword Sora and Kairi picked out for him, when he catches sight of her blue eyes following him back in the kitchen. She still has that mysterious I-know-something-you-don't-right-now look on, but she's not smiling anymore. It gives Haruki an odd feeling, like there's something really obvious he's missing... He shrugs it off and bounds into his room, already picturing one of Aunt Naminé's characters as the evil man and what horrendous monster he'll throw at Haruki.


	3. Pizza and Spontaneousness  Drabbles

**I'M SO SORRY. I swear, I have a good excuse this time! Okay, maybe not, but still... School started again, and it's a little trickier than I anticipated; I'll make it, but I'll have to learn how to write a chapter on weekends. :P To reward you for your patience, I thought I'd post these mini-Haruki drabbles on Friday instead of Tuesday with the promise that eventually I'll get back to my Tuesday-update schedule and bring the plot back. For now, I'm having fun with the very idea that Riku and Xion have kids, let alone together. :D I've got at least four ideas for future chapters before the plot really thickens. Sorry about that, but it'll be a fun ride! There'll be important hints everywhere—even in this one!**

**The inspiration for these drabble was my super-duper good friend at school, who was kind enough to give me two random words when I asked her to try. Thanks, Dani! I hope you'll read these soon. Everyone else, enjoy the sprinkling of Haruki! Review if you feel the desire to.**

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><p><strong>Pizza – Set when Haruki's still really little—maybe about five or six?<strong>

"So, you've bought your son his weight in ice cream—"

"I haven't given him that much, Axel, _you_ have."

"Axel, she has a point. You're spoiling that kid rotten."

"Don't give away my master plan, Roxas! Anyway, Xion, you've never bought Haruki a pizza?"

"No, I haven't. They're not healthy—"

"Because ice cream is _so_ nutritional."

"It won't kill him to eat one once in a while..."

"Yeah, whatever. Hey, Haruki, you want your Uncle Axel to buy you a pizza?... What do you _mean_, 'What's a pizza'?"

"Axel...!"

"Ah, shit..."

"AXEL!"

"Uh-oh... Haruki, don't repeat what Axel says. Ever."

**Spontaneous – Set when Haruki is a teenager—le gasp!—when he's fifteen years old.**

When he's alone, Haruki wonders why Yoshi still talks to him, lets alone hangs out with him. They're completely different—she's talkative while he doesn't talk unnecessarily; she's often lazy, and he pours effort into everything he does; he feels obligated to not let his parents down, but she constantly rebels against anyone with expectations of her—but the biggest is her spontaneousness.

Yoshi adores pranking him, often claiming the devils made her do it. She never apologizes, but she always makes him smile; that's apology enough.

And every time he sees her, all the doubts about why they're friends go away.


	4. With Me

**I have no excuse for not updating sooner. Really. The only reason I can present is that life got in the way, but since everyone else in the world has updated, my excuse is void. By the way, I'm so sorry for all the reviews and P.M.s I have not replied to! I'm going to get to them this weekend, I think.**

**Onto the chapter... I totally did not just type this up an hour ago. 8D Please excuse any typos, and go ahead and point them out. I'll fix them ASAP. This is actually leading up to one of the plotlines in this story. ;D Considering some people have already started picking out pairing names, though, it's not really a surprise as to what's going on here... I think I'm drawing out Haruki's childhood too long, so I'm going to have about two more chapters with actual content and then move on to that sixteenth-birthday mark mentioned in chapter one... Just for your information.**

**I think that's everything. Again, sorry for the delay in this chapter, and please enjoy!**

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><p>"Yoshi, why's prom such a big deal to you, anyway?" Haruki swings his legs from the end of the dock on the main island. The two of them just got out of school, so the sun's still high in the sky. If Haruki had it his way, he and Yoshi would go out here at sunset, when the sky's lit up in almost every color of the rainbow. Yoshi's mom doesn't like her being out at that time, though, so they make do where they can.<p>

Yoshi gasps and slaps a hand over her mouth as dramatically as their teacher had when Haruki had said, "Oh, crap." (If she thinks _that's_ bad, Haruki hopes she never meets Uncle Axel.) "What do you _mean_, why's it a big deal? It's gonna be the biggest night of my whole life!" She throws her hands up in the air, and he flinches back as her voice grows. "Everything's going to be pretty and sparkly and perfect, and I'm gonna go with a boy who really, really likes me, and he's gonna kiss me, and then we're gonna get married and have babies..."

Surprisingly, Haruki doesn't automatically tune out at the girly talk—at least not until she starts talking about babies. _Ew_. Instead, he kinda pictures the scene Yoshi's describing, with her in a long, purple dress, hair curling around her shoulders instead of up in pigtails, walking hand in hand with none other than himself...

"Mom says no one's going to ask me to prom, though."

Haruki starts a little at the sudden change in tone, glancing over at his best friend. Even though she's looking down, probably watching the waves roll back and forth through the gaps in the wood, he can see the salt water in her eyes that has nothing to do with the sea. His knuckles pop as he curls his hand into a fist; he knows that Yoshi's parents aren't really good, but he knows that no parent should ever say that. "Yoshi?"

She sniffs, wiping at her face with the palm of her hand. "Yeah, Ruki?"

"D'you wanna go to prom with me?"

Yoshi lifts her head, eyes wide and her mouth making a little _o_. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, 'course I do." He smiles wide and wraps a hand around her wrist. "But I'm not having babies."

That cracks a smile out of her, and before he knows it she's hugging him around his neck. "You're the best friend ever," she whispers. "And I bet you're gonna have tons of babies just 'cause you said that."

"No way!" Haruki leaps up, pulling her up. "Come on, you oughtta get home. I'll walk you back."

Yoshi's face is glowing so brightly he can barely see how red her eyes had gotten. "I'll race you back to my house!"

"You're on!"

Haruki swears on Uncle Roxas that he let her win. Honest.


	5. The Worst Date Ever

**So, uh... how hated am I? I've got a shield to protect myself from tomatoes, if necessary. Heh, heh?**

**I really am sorry, guys - I have no good excuse for putting this story off for ten months. I mean, this is pathetic. Even by my low standards. But I'm here now, and I've got a slight cure for Haruki-withdrawal. ^_^; I've got another two or three short chapters ready, two more fairly important ones to write, and then we're back on track. If you need more of a fix, check out Knight-Dawn's KH stories - in her version of post-KHIII, Riku and Xion wait a little longer to have children, and they have a boy and a girl... Three guesses as to what the boy's name is, and the first two don't count. (_They're so_ cute...!) Also, if you need more, MegaWallflower has some pics she drew of Haruki and Yoshi on dA under the username sexiipup94. Check 'em out!**

**Speaking of Yoshi, quick recap: Yoshi is Haruki's one and only best friend at this time; her mother is abusive toward her, leading her to be very close to Haruki and his parents because she comes around so often. By the time this chapter takes place, Haruki's realizing that he may be liking his best friend as a tad more than a friend... ;)**

**Originally Akio was going to be the name of one of the men who were going to adopt Haruki before Riku and Xion changed their minds, but that chapter is being scrapped for now because I can't seem to spit it out, LOL. Earlier I mentioned that Haruki has a cousin obviously on Riku's side of the family, and Sakura Scout wanted to see a bit more of them. He also has at least two other cousins that will be seen here in a few chapters. Set when Haruki and Yoshi are fourteen, making Xion a whopping thirty-two years old and Riku thirty-three. DX Please, enjoy!**

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><p>When Haruki opens the door, he blinks.<p>

It's not that seeing Yoshi on his doorstep is anything unusual. In fact, he's beginning to see his best friend more often than he sees his own dad or aunts and uncles. The thing is—

"You look different," he says, narrowing his eyes. "Is that... makeup?"

"Yeah." Yoshi says it like he's an idiot, but Haruki ignores it; she's trying to play it off as completely normal, which means that it's really not normal, which means something's up. "Are ya gonna let me in or not?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." He backs up just before Yoshi tramples him. She throws herself on the couch that's older than either of them—probably older than both of them combined, and just as itchy as the clothes his even-older grandma gives him for Christmas—and smiles up at him. It's weird; the colors Yoshi's picked are more flattering than Haruki thought a fourteen-year-old girl could pick, if the girls in their class are any indication, but her lips are still too pink, and her jade-colored eyes pop out at him under the bright eyeshadow. "So what's the occasion?"

Yoshi's smile stretches into a grin. "You know Akio?"

"Yeah...?" How could he not? Yoshi's only been talking about him nonstop for about a month and a half since they started freshman year, completely ignoring or completely ignorant of how irritated and quiet Haruki gets when she does. Akio's only the biggest _asshole_ Haruki's ever met, taunting the other freshman since before they were even in middle school. Haruki's only Akio's _cousin_, giving him the unique _pleasure_ of having to see the idiot once a year.

It's times like those that Haruki is grateful for his parents' open minds, particularly his father's since he has as little patience for his family as Haruki does, and it's times like these that Yoshi's single-mindedness irritates him as much as he can be irritated with her.

Yoshi folds her hands in her lap precisely, showing off her painted nails as Haruki joins her on the couch. "He asked me if I wanted to see a movie tonight about an hour ago."

Oh, God.

"Cool." Haruki shove his hands in his pockets and does his best to keep a straight face.

The attempt must be in vain 'cause Yoshi turns and gapes at him. "'Cool'? '_Cool_'? Haruki, this is wonderful!" She grabs his hands and shakes them as she goes on. "I mean, this is _Akio_, I've been in love with the guy for practically my entire life—"

"You've only been _infatuated_ with him for the past month." Haruki slips his hands free and grabs her wrists. "And your life began fourteen years ago. Quit being melodramatic."

"Quit being practical!" Yoshi crosses her arms and sinks into the couch a little further. "This is quite possibly the best moment of my life so far, so don't ruin it."

Haruki hates it when she pulls the "crappy life" card. She wins _every time_... "Anything I can do to help you?"

Yoshi smiles at him. "Nope! I just wanted to let you know how wonderfully my life is coming together at the moment. I mean, it's _Akio—_"

"Yes, I _know_ it's Akio." Haruki blinks in surprise at himself, then runs a hand through his hair self-consciously. "...Just... have fun tonight. You know how to get me if you need anything, right?"

"I won't need anything, but yes, I do." Yoshi reaches for his hand again, squeezing it lightly and intertwining their fingers. "If I wasn't afraid my lip gloss would smear, I'd kiss you on the cheek. You're the best friend_ ever_."

"No problem." Haruki squeezes her hand back. "Let me know how it goes?"

"Mmhmm. If I can get off your couch, that is. Your mom's not kidding when she says this thing'll swallow you whole."

A few hours later, Mom's gone upstairs to work on some project for Dad, who is _still _not home, and Haruki's spread out on the couch, a huge book opened in his lap, a lamp on overhead, and an eye on the time. The current "Akio's-an-ass" time is approximately that time when the jerk would put an arm around Yoshi's shoulders during the movie and hold her close in the dark of the movie theater, whispering something or other based on the kind of movie they're watching. Haruki'll probably hear every detail in the gym next week, trying to keep from flushing while Akio talks at him and tells the guys how she cuddled right up to him—

It's a good thing the book was boring anyway, 'cause Haruki's not retaining anything he's reading and aimlessly turning the pages.

_Thunk_._ "Haruki, open the damn door already. It's freakin' cold out here..."_

Haruki blinks.

_Thunk_._ "Damn it, I know you're in there..."_

Okay, he didn't make it up. Haruki tosses the book by his feet and hops off the couch, glancing out the window beside the front door. Sure enough, it's Yoshi, arms crossed and shoulders hunched to keep warm—

Or so he thought. When he opens the door, he gets one quick look at the black smears running from Yoshi's eyes before she leaps on him, throwing her arms around him and hiccuping. "T-took you long 'nough," she sniffs and buries her face in his shoulder.

"Hey, now," Haruki says, carefully wrapping his arms around her waist. He maneuvers them back a few steps, kicking the door shut behind his friend, before he pulls away and gets her to look at him. The dark eyeliner that had outlined her eyes earlier has been replaced with pink, and her whole face is splotched red and pink, salt water running down her cheeks and occasionally falling to the floor. "Wh-what happened?"

"Akio's a _dick_, that's what," Yoshi chokes, violently wiping at her eyes and smearing the makeup worse. "Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"

"I tried to let you know a while ago—I don't think you would've listened," he says, softly and quietly, and in a stroke of bravery, he reaches up and tucks a lock of blonde hair back behind her ear. "Come on, sit down and you can tell me everything."

"I don't want to talk about it." But she sits all the same, resting her head on his shoulder when he sits beside her and pulls her close. The best he can do until she decides to talk is try to relax her, so he rubs her arm until her breathing evens out and she falls asleep.

Riku, of course, opens the door not long after that, but Haruki gets a finger to his lips before his dad can say anything. His dad blinks at the two of them, eyebrows raised behind his too-long bangs as he assesses the situation, but his eyes soften after a moment, and he nods. As he walks by, silent even while dodging the haphazardly-arranged furniture on his way to his and Mom's room, he even ruffles Haruki's hair, earning him a quick smile from his son.


	6. Inheritance

**Before I go on, a big thanks to Peach for reviewing the last chapter! (LOL, I noticed. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. :D Nope, you're right, Haruki's completely head over heels, and he knows it. XD In fact, Yoshi's probably the only one who _doesn't_ know he is. Either way, they'll always care about each other deeply. ^_^)**

**Also, a big thanks to Anon for reviewing as well! (:D I'm sorry you had to wait so long to get the new chapter! Poor Yoshi indeed... :( Agreed, poor Haruki as well. Sometimes being the best friend rather sucks, especially when your friends don't want to listen... :P)**

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><p><strong>And so the reason Riku and Xion don't tell Haruki the truth when he's ten, as planned, and why his sixteenth birthday is so important are all revealed... Sorta, anyway. You'll see. Pleae enjoy!<strong>

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><p>"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Master."<p>

"It is no trouble."

Xion hasn't seen the Mysterious Tower in, what, five years? Though the three good fairies have left since the war ended to spend their days with their daughter-of-sorts, the tower looks exactly the same as she remembers it—desk tidy, books organized on their proper bookshelves, brown stone floor swept and corners cobweb-free... in short, the complete opposite of her own house with a toddler and Riku on the loose and all their friends crashing there on a regular basis. Yen Sid doesn't seem to have aged, either; her beckons her to sit in a chair across from his and follows suit.

"You said there was a matter you wished to discuss with me." Yen Sid folds his hands on his desk and fixes her with his trademark intense stare. The first time he had done so, Xion had been reminded of Xemnas and his stare that felt so piercing that she felt there was nothing she could keep from him because he knew what she would think before she even did. While that may still be true, there is benevolence in Yen Sid that was lacking in her former "master."

"Yes, Master." Xion bites her lip and takes a deep breath. "I was hoping you could explain Keyblade inheritance to me."

Yen Sid frowns and leans back in his chair, stroking his beard slowly. "In the past, the successors of the Keyblade Masters were chosen by the Masters themselves. The potential heir had to impress the Master with their strength and potential, be it in physical strength, magical capability, or most importantly strength of heart. When the Master saw the full potential of the heir, he or she would present the future wielder with his or her Keyblade and perform the Inheritance rites, at which time the Keyblade would assess the new wielder. If the Keyblade approved, it would emit light, and the ceremony was completed. This is how Masters Terra, Aqua, and Ventus were chosen—as was your husband."

Xion nods, still biting her lip. "But Sora was not chosen that way, and neither was I."

"Indeed not." Yen Sid's frown turns thoughtful. "There have been exceptions, though the majority of them have occurred recently. Sora, for example, inherited the ability to wield the Keyblade from Ventus's heart residing in his; when the time came that he had need of a weapon, a Master-less Key emerged and chose him. Similarly, Roxas's and your power came from your connection to Sora, and other Keyblades chose you to wield them."

"That's the only other way, then? A strong connection to another wielder?" Xion's hands curl around the hem of her shirt, knuckles turning white with her grip.

But Yen Sid closes his eyes and sighs. "...No, it is not."

Xion's shoulders sag, and she lets her head fall, staring blankly at the feet of the Master's desk.

"The only true prerequisite needed to obtain a Keyblade is a strong heart, whether it is aligned with the Light or the Darkness. If a wielder has not been chosen by a Master, then it is likely his or her heart was strong enough that a Keyblade answered his or her need." A cool, calloused hand settles over her own; Xion lifts her head to be met with Master Yen Sid's gaze, and for the first time he looks at her with pity and sympathy. "Neither you nor Riku wish for your son to be a wielder of the Keyblade."

Xion closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Any parent—any real parent—wants the best for their child, or at least better than what they had. I know Haruki's strong enough to handle it—everyone can see it, but—" She pulls one hand away, covers her mouth for a moment, and rests her head in her hand. "We've suffered so much because of the Keyblade—for the Keyblade—I don't want my only child to suffer like that."

"It is a difficult decision," Yen Sid admits, "and one that few Keyblade Masters are ever put in a position to make."

"Because they're smart enough not to take chances."

"On the contrary. Many of them are afraid to even consider the life you have built."

Xion laughs. "No, they're afraid of potty training. If this makes me braver than other Masters, then I'd like to trade jobs for a day." Hesitantly she pulls her other hand away from Yen Sid's; the Master returns to his former position. "...Thank you for this conversation, Master."

Yen Sid nods, rising. "I wish you the best of luck, Master Xion."

"And to you as well." Xion stands and turns to the door—

"If I may say so, however," he adds—Xion glances over her shoulder at him— "Haruki will make a fine Master one day should he be chosen, if his parents are any indication."

Xion smiles faintly. "Thank you, Master."

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><p>Haruki is flopped on the couch with his dad after the biggest tickle fight in the history of <em>ever<em>, trying to get back all the air he didn't get to breathe 'cause he and Dad were laughing too much, when the door _creeeaaaks_ open.

"Mama!" Haruki can breathe all right now; he hops off the scratchy couch and runs through the living room, around the corner, through the kitchen, and right into Mama's arms. "You're home."

"Yup." Mama squeezes tighttight_tight_ so he loses all the air he just got back, just the way he likes it. "Oh, Mom missed being home with you two today."

"Missed you, two!" Which is kinda lying 'cause Haruki was having too much with Dad to really miss Mama, but Dad prob'ly missed her, so it counts.

"Sura you did." Uh-oh—Mama's got that voice like she doesn't believe him but she's being funny about it. _She knows_.

"Why yes we did, didn't we?" Dad's in the kitchen now, too, leaning on the door like he usually does and looking really hurt. When Haruki turns to look at him, though, he gives him a big wink. "We had to play all kinds of games to keep our minds off the misery."

"I see." Haruki turns back to Mama with his best "I didn't do it" look, and she giggles. "Oh, baby, I love you so much," and she hugs him some more," and I'll be proud of you no matter what."

"You, too?" When Mama gives him room again, he pulls on her arm. "Come on, y'gotta play Go Fish with us now."


End file.
